A Name, Not a Number
by Anakinskywalkergo
Summary: C48 has been in the Clone War since the beginning, but serving under General Brunard, he's gotten the impression the Jedi treat the clones like dirt. That is, until he re-assigned to serve under a rookie Jedi general named Anakin Skywalker and help him out in the battlefield. Read to discover how C48 went from being just another number to Captain Rex of the 501st!


**Thought it was time I did a story focusing on Rex. So hears part one of ****_A Name, Not a Number_****.**

* * *

Smoke, flames, and the stench of death filled the air as a small band of clone troopers and a Jedi ran through the abandoned streets of Vanpris, a small village on the planet Ygnis. Droid after droid was torn apart by the greed blade held steadily in the Jedi's hand, as even more fell to the lasers coming from the soldiers' blasters. It wasn't long before the entire village was clear of any Separatist threats, and the clones were finally able to drop their weapons after four hours straight of battle.

CT47258 leaned back against a hut, swiping off his helmet and mopping his sweaty forehead with a dirty cloth. He looked up at the noon day sun and cursed it.

"Watch the profanity, Rex, or the general will get angry."

CT47258 turned to see a clone approach him, a giant grin plastered to his face. He turned away, ignoring the warning. "The general is always angry. And don't call me Rex…you know we're not allowed to use names, CT365998."

"But Rex fits you so well! You obey immediately just like a dog, you're tough, and you're smart. Well, what about C48? A lot better than CT47258?"

He sighed, and nodded. "Fine. C48 ain't that bad. I mean, it is 'part' of the code. Easier to say…" He cocked an eyebrow. "But only use it when we're alone. And you'll be…"

"Double 98. Because I've got two nines right before the eight. Get it?"

C48 sighed, and nodded. He was to weary to argue, or talk, or even groan. However, he stood up straight and slapped his helmet back on his head as General Brunard walked past.

"CT47258, front and center!" The Jedi's voice boomed, echoing off the ally they were standing in, and causing a flock of wild birds to fly away as the clone stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"

"I want you and the dogs you call a squadron to clean up all the droids in this area, and dispose of them immediately. The governor will be returning, and I intend on him returning to a clean town. Afterwards, go back to the Hitmaster, and await there for my return. I will be joining the victory celebration here, tonight. You and your men may relax until we leave for Coruscant."

C48 nodded and turned to leave, when he heard Double 98 speak up. "Sir, I will help Rex make sure everything is taken care of. No need to worry about a…"

"Rex? Who in this kriffing galaxy is Rex?"

C48 stopped moving, and it seemed to him that his entire body froze. He could hear Double 98 begin to panic. "Sir, I meant C48…no! I mean CT47258, sir! Yes, sir, that's what I meant."

"CT47258, front and center!"

C48 winced as he turned back around to face his now irritated general. "I told you on our last mission that I want you to stop your clones from making up stupid nicknames, when they could be preparing for battle," he said roughly.

C48 nodded. "Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Won't happen again, sir."

"I will make sure of that, CT47258. In fact, when you go back to the Hitmaster, I think the engines and fuel room need a good inspection and cleaning. That should take the whole squadron a few hours at least – enough for you to get done by the time I get back. Is that clear?"

C48 nodded slowly. "Yes, General. I apologize for the slip up. It will not happen again, I assure you."

Brunard narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid you CANNOT reassure me, clone. Just get the job done, and do it right."

As the angry Jedi stormed off, Double 98 let out the breath he had been holding. "Re…I mean, C48, I'm so sorry about that. I just cost the entire squad their relaxation time, and…"

"No need for apologies, trooper," C48 said quietly. "You're a rookie – it's easy to forget about the name rule."

"It's just, we used to do that all the time around the Kamino facility. Never bothered anyone."

"I've been commanding for Brunard ever since the Clone War began, which was for five months now. And I learned something…anything and everything a clone does is a bother to General Brunard."

Double 98 shook his head. "Why? What's so wrong with us?" He sighed. "It's because we're clones? Machines?"

C48 grabbed Double 98 by the shoulders. "Trooper, you are a MAN. A soldier – a fighter. We are brothers, and don't ever forget that. No matter what anyone else thinks." He patted the rookie on the back. "Now let's get going. We've got work to do."

C48 and the rest of the Hitter Squad returned to the Hitmaster, which was well outside the village, and began their work. Noon soon turned into evening, than evening to dusk. The engine and fuel room were spotless when C48 and his men finally took a rest. Soon, as stars began to appear in the sky, the men went to their bunks and retired. C48 remained awake, and waited for his general.

And he waited. And waited. And waited…

General Brunard never made it back alive.

TWO MONTHS LATER

It had taken several weeks for the Republic to find the murderer who assassinated Jedi General Brunard in the village of Vanpris, on the planet Ygnis. It took even longer for everything to be signed and trialed and finally sentenced. By that time, Commander C48 had been relieved from duty for two months, along with the rest of Hitter Squad, while they waited to be re-assigned to their new general.

The day finally came when two men, one dark skinned and the other light, entered their quarters. The first man, the dark one with the bald head, spoke first. "CT47258, we have orders for your new commanding general."

C48 stood up, and saluted the Jedi. "Yes, sir. Me and my squad are ready to go."

The Jedi's face clouded over. "I'm afraid there's a misunderstanding. YOU will be heading for battle immediately. Hitter squadron will be assigned to General Kenobi here, while you go to his former Padawan, General Skywalker."

C48 stood staring at the Jedi for a good, long minute. He had been with Hitter squadron from the beginning – now he was just going to…walk away? He wanted to protest, explain his reasons. But he kept his mouth shut, like he had been trained to. Because he was a clone – and clones didn't speak against their superiors.

Now, the other Jedi – Kenobi, C48 presumed – began talking. "You're squadron will be safe with me, I assure you commander. You will be assigned as commander to my friend, Anakin. He's new, and I want an experienced soldier with him. You're reports are excellent. You two can…look out for each other."

'Great. Not only do I get a stranger as a general, but a greenhorn too.' C48 nearly swore out loud, but clamped his mouth down just in time.

The bald Jedi spoke again. "CT47258, my name is General Windu and I will escort you to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where you will meet up with Admiral Yularen and General Skywalker. The Hitter squadron will go with General Kenobi straight into battle. There's a blockade around Kiros that needs to be taken care of."

C48 raised his hand in a salute, and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, sir…"

The flight to Coruscant went by too slowly for C48, after he was forced to leave the only men he knew. Ever since leaving Kamino as a cadet, and instantly becoming commander to General Brunard, he had known nothing but battle and Hitter squadron. Now he was going to work for some new Jedi who he was supposed to watch out for.

'Perfect,' C48 grumbled under his breath as the ship finally pulled out of hyperspace, and landed safely in front of the majestic Jedi Temple. Even though he hated to admit it, the structure took his breath away. The towering spirals were taller than any other building on the planet, while ships and speeders of all sizes clogged the air ways.

General Windu led C48 down the ramp, and towards the Temple's main hanger deck. They were greeted by a tall man in a green/gray uniform, small mustache, and VERY straight posture. The man saluted them as they approached. "General Windu, glad you've made it back safely," he said quickly. He nodded towards C48. "This must be our new commander."

Windu nodded. "Thank you, Admiral. This is clone trooper CT47258. He'll be commanding the 501st with you and General Skywalker. Where is he, by the way?"

The postured man let out a big, heavy sigh, as if he were used to this question. Maybe he was. "I'm not too sure, General. He commed me and said he would be late. Seemingly, there was an 'accident' in the other hanger involving his speeder."

Windu groaned. "Well, give CT47258 a tour of the Resolute, then he can give the tour to Skywalker when he arrives." With that, the Jedi bowed slightly, then walked away.

The other man watched him leave before turning to C48. "I am Admiral Yularen. I will be with you and General Skywalker."

C48 immediately saluted him. "At your service, sir!"

Yularen almost cracked a grin. ALMOST. "Very well, Commander. Come and I will show you our lead Starship."

The Resolute was magnificent, with the newest upgrades that the Republic could afford, and freshly cleaned parts. Soldiers lined the boarding ramp as they climbed aboard. 'The 501st Battalion,' C48 assumed as he watched the clones. None of the men even flinched. They weren't rookies as Hitter Squad had been. These men knew their place.

"I will show you the bridge first," Yularen stated. "But first, I'd like to introduce you to someone." He pointed to a soldier who stood in the corner, with two birds stamped on his armor – which was surprising to C48, for individual decors were prohibited in General Brunard's squad. "Commander, this is CT26907. He's our main pilot," Yularen explained. "Hawk, this is our new commander, CT47258."

C48 and the pilot both saluted each other, before the tour moved on. Soon, C48 knew about every single nook and cranny on that Starship, and was utterly relieved when Yularen finally finished.

"Well, I'd better go see if I can find General Skywalker," the admiral said with a sigh as he glanced at his wrist chrono. "If you see him come aboard, please show him around and comm me. Allow no one else on this vessel – especially Jedi Padawans. They like to mess around," he added with a grumble.

Suddenly, C48 was left alone on the bridge of the Resolute. The new transfer aimlessly wandered around, before he realized he was being hailed over by someone. He looked around to see CT26907 running towards him, waving. He waved back. "Hey, CT26…"

"Stop right there," the pilot interrupted him. "I hate it when people call me that," he admitted. "Call me Hawk." He pointed to his helmet. "Birds? Hawk? Get it?!"

C48 cracked a grin underneath his own helmet. This clone reminded him so much of Double 98 – but that was common, seeing how they were all brothers…

"So, what can I call you?" Hawk interrupted his thoughts. "I mean, besides the stupid serial numbers they gave you."

C48 shrugged. "Ugh – C48, I guess." He frowned. "If you don't mind me asking…are you a rookie?"

"Well, yea. The entire 501st is – we just came from Kamino. Yea, I know we all act like we're pros, but we're not. Just trained for a very and I mean VERY long time. We were the only spare battalion available for General Skywalker." He tapped C48's shoulder. "General Kenobi wanted at least ONE experienced soldier in his old Padawan's ranks, so they chose you. And he picked me out because I passed each pilot test on Kamino with flying colors."

C48 grimaced. "Well, you know, when I served under my old general, he loathed when we used silly names."

Hawk quickly lifted off his helmet so he could give him a confused expression. "What?"

"I mean, names like Hawk and stuff. My old general called us by our serial codes. Nothing more. It was prohibited."

As soon as Hawk realized what he was saying, his face clouded over. "Y-You think General Skywalker will be like that?"

C48 could only shrug. "I really don't know. But I'll tell you this…every Jedi that I've met is the same. I met a lot of them on Geonosis – I was part of that, you know. They're our superiors, and we're the army that they ORDERED. That's why we were born – or bred, as they put it."

All former happiness had disappeared from Hawk as he listened. "Well – I should tell all the others that. Anything else?"

C48 went into a long explanation about the past rules he had followed, like no individual armor designs, jokes during meetings, no wise-cracking, and constantly repeated the no names rule. That was the one that Hitter Squadron kept getting nailed down for.

By the time he had finished, about two dozen more troopers had gathered around to hear his explanation. All were shocked and stunned at the new rules, and confused. "So, if we obey all this stuff, the new general will be okay?" one asked.

Once again, C48 could only shrug and hang his head. "I hope. Unless he's worse…"

"Commander!" A sudden voice interrupted the meeting as a clone ran up to C48, saluting. "Someone is approaching the Resolute," the man replied. "Looks like a Jedi. I'm not too sure – he's wearing robes though."

C48 nodded, and slipped his helmet on. He easily made his way to the boarding ramp – if there was anything to compliment him about, it was his excellent memory. He exited the ship to find a young man, probably in his teens or barely out of them, waiting for him, thick brown robes wrapped around him. He was obviously a Jedi.

'More like some Padawan looking for trouble – like the admiral said. He looks way too young to be a Knight,' he thought, then spoke out loud. "What are you doing here?"

The young man stared at him, a backpack slung over his shoulders. "Is this Resolute? The 501st Starship?"

C48 nodded. "Yes, but you're not allowed on board. Padawans are restricted from this area." He wasn't going to fail his security orders on the first day.

He looked confused. "But…"

"Orders, kid," C48 stated, immediately hoping the boy wouldn't go running for his Master for using the term 'kid.' General Brunard had never stood for that. "You can't go in there," he said quickly.

"Trooper, you need to…"

"Admiral Yularen stated that no one is to come aboard. We're awaiting someone."

Now he seemed REALLY confused. "Yularen? Look, I think you're confused…"

"Orders."

"I know, but…"

"Orders."

Just as C48 cut off the boy for about the tenth time, he heard a echoing footsteps fill the empty hanger, and spotted Admiral Yularen returning. The man stared at C48 curiously, before spotting the Jedi. His face immediately lightened up. "General Skywalker, so glad you found us!"

C48's gaping mouth was big enough to hold a rancor. "General SKYWALKER?!"

HALF AN HOUR LATER

As soon as C48 found out the boy in front of him was going to be his commanding general, he had barely withheld a string of profanity from escaping his lips. Yularen, not noticing, had quickly introduced him to Anakin Skywalker, former Padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

C48 had just stared, dumbfounded, as the admiral continued explaining things. Obviously, Skywalker had surpassed all the odds and was pushed through training to become a general and serve the dwindling Republic resources.

Now, C48 was showing Skywalker around the Resolute while Yularen went over the 501st. After a while though, both fell silent, and they just wandered around the cruiser. 'Sometimes I wish I could just keep walking without having nowhere to go…' C48 let his thoughts go haywire. 'I wonder what Double 98 is doing right now. Heard he was made commander. Lucky kid – he'll like that. He's with General Kenobi – maybe we'll see each other soon. Blast, I hate this tour. I can't believe I'm serving under some kid younger than me. Stang, how did this happen?! Of course, that's partially unfair seeing how I was bred to grow up faster than normal, but still…stang…'

"Commander!"

From Skywalker's tone, he must have been calling him for hours. C48 quickly shook his head to clear his mind. "Of course – ugh – what were you saying, General?"

"I was just trying to confirm that you worked under General Brunard, right?"

C48 swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. "Yes, sir."

"And?"

"And…"

"How was it?"

"Blast it, it sucked." C48 was so sure he had thought that privately in his head, it took him a full minute to realize that Skywalker had heard it. His new general was staring at him, eyes wide with surprise. C48 felt his face burn, and he lowered his head. "I-I didn't mean it l-like that, General," he stammered. 'Stang, this is going to get me in trouble.'

Skywalker stared at his commander – before bursting into laughter. C48 stared at his general in shock as Skywalker grinned at him. "I'm sure it did. I went on a mission with him once. Not fun, I'll tell you that much," he said with a laugh. His expression somewhat turned solemn after that, though. "But he was a good man, and a great Jedi, even if we didn't always see eye to eye."

"Exactly how old are you?" One again, C48 wished he could just clamp his mouth closed and keep it closed. He had always been one to keep self-control – why did he keep risking himself getting in trouble?

However, Skywalker didn't even flinch. "I just turned nineteen a months ago, actually." Hearing the clone nearly choke on his own breath, he chuckled. "I know I'm not as old as you expected, but my Master said I was ready for this. I KNOW I'm ready for this."

C48 simply nodded as he continued. "I guess I was pretty amused by the fact that you wouldn't let me in because you thought I was a Padawan. You must have nearly fainted, huh?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, one way to tell is that all Padawan's have a special braid on the right side of their head and face. That should make it pretty easy – I had mine severed a while ago."

"Yes, sir."

Just then, CT26907 ran over. "General Skywalker, you are requested by the Council via hologram at once," he reported.

"Thanks…uh…I'm sorry, but what's your name, trooper?" the young Knight asked.

"I am CT26907, sir."

Skywalker looked so confused that both clones nearly burst into laughter. The Knight just stared at them blankly. "I-I don't understand…I wanted to know your NAMES."

He was so serious that immediately C48 remembered he was just a rookie, and explained. "Sir, we are clones. Those serial numbers ARE our names."

"Those aren't names – those are numbers." He scowled, mumbling something to himself that neither clone could comprehend before looking up and gesturing to CT26907. "Seriously. There has to be something else I can call you by – I can't shout out all those numbers on the battlefield."

The pilot shuffled uncomfortably before answer. "Hawk," he mumbled, barely audible.

"What? I'm sorry, but I can't hear you."

"Hawk," he repeated, a little louder – a little more confident.

Skywalker's face lit into a grin. "Hawk," he repeated slowly. "I like that. That would explain the imprints on your helmet, too." He laughed. "Okay, you're Hawk." He turned to C48. "And you…I really can't keep calling you Commander CT47258. What'll it be?"

C48 just stood there dumbly, too shocked to answer. This was so…different…then what he had been expecting. "C48," he finally managed to say.

Skywalker raised an eyebrow. "That's still a number, trooper."

"I-It's fine, sir," he replied. "I'm used to it. My friends back in Hitter Squad used to call me that; because we weren't allowed names…"

"Master Brunard wouldn't allow you to have NAMES?!" Skywalker's scowl deepened. He shook his head. "It's wrong," he murmured.

Hawk and C48 exchanged glances, before the commander spoke up. "It's fine, sir. I like it."

Skywalker sighed. "Fine. But I'll be waiting to hear your REAL name when you come up with one," he stated solemnly. "Now excuse me men. It's not smart to keep the Council waiting."

As the general departed from them, C48 stepped over to his friend. "Uh – what just happened?" he asked. "He just…he's calling you Hawk."

Hawk was just as confused. "Are you sure you were right about the Jedi? I mean, maybe it was just General Brunard that did all that to you…"

C48 lowered his head. He was more confused than ever. "Maybe." There was hope in his voice. "For our sakes, I hope I was wrong…maybe…"

ONE WEEK LATER

C48 nor the rest of the 501st Battalion saw much of their new general after that day. He was called back to the Temple for an emergency investigation there – unknown to everyone – and he didn't return for a week later. C48 took the time to meet his new men, talk to each one, learn their strengths and weaknesses. The ones he grew closest to were Hawk and another trooper who called himself Kix, who specialized in the medical field. What surprised the commander most was how much more lenient authority was here. The troops joked and laughed, called each other by their nicknames, and were never afraid of making a wrong move and taking the wrong step. They studied, cleaned, and worked without being yelled or shouted out. They were content…

…because they were happy.

It was dawn the next day, and C48 was reading in his data-pad when he could hear Hawk shouting from the lower levels. "General Skywalker is back! All men at attention! Get the commander!"

C48 immediately threw his data-pad aside, grabbed his helmet, and raced out of his quarters. He was at the loading zone in less than three minutes – just as Skywalker walked up the ramp with Yularen at his side.

As soon as he spotted his commander, Skywalker's weary face turned into a smile. "Hey, C48, how's things been?"

Even after being out of action for so long – and out of General Brunard's squad – being addressed so casually was still not something C48 was used to. "Uh – fine, sir. Everything is just fine."

Skywalker nodded silently, before turning to Yularen and whispering something. The young general looked tired – it was obvious whatever mission he had been sent on, it had been exhausting. Finally, after a hushed discussion with the admiral, turned back to his men. "I know that I told you all you would get at least two weeks to train and get used to the Resolute," he stated. "But I'm afraid that isn't possible, now. We need to set course for Kiros and engage the Separatist blockade there. The last group that was sent failed, and was taken prisoner. We are to free them as well."

No one spoke. They were just rushing into battle unprepared, and at a moment's notice? Not to mention everybody except C48 and Yularen were rookies.

Skywalker noticed their doubt, and flashed them a smile – it was all fake. "Don't worry. I've seen your records, and your reports. You'll do fine." The smile melted away. "The Jedi captured is my mentor, and my best friend. We really have no time to waste."

Suddenly, a cold feeling ran up C48's back. "Sir.." he spoke up, raising his hand. Skywalker acknowledged him with a nod, and he continued. "Isn't Hitter Squad with General Kenobi?"

Skywalker nodded grimly. "Yes, they are. And they have been captured as well. I didn't want our first mission together to be like this, but this IS war after all, and you can never plan ahead. That's why you have to improvise."

Hawk raised his hand, and after a nod from Skywalker, asked, "General, when are we leaving."

Skywalker's frown deepened, if that were possible. "Now. Get all troops on board, on the bridge. Make sure engines and supplies are prepped and locked down. We need to leave Coruscant in fifteen minutes."

C48 wasn't completely aware of what happened after that. There was chaos – that was for sure. Well, the commander couldn't blame them. A full battalion of rookies rushing into a battle that had already been failed, and with only fifteen minutes to prep…it wasn't a good situation. Not to mention General Skywalker really had no idea what to do to control his men. In fact, Yularen was the only one who seemed to know what he was doing as he shouted orders left and right.

Still, despite the confusion and obvious fear, in fifteen minutes all the troops were in their stations and the Resolute was lifting out of Coruscant's atmosphere. Skywalker went into the briefing room to talk to the Jedi Council via hologram, while C48 remained in the bridge. He had to give Yularen credit – the man knew how to keep everyone on their toes.

After they had entered hyperspace, things began calming down once again. C48 let out the breath he had been holding, and allowed a quick peace to settle into his bones. But he knew it wouldn't live for long. They were going in blind to a massive battle that they knew nothing about.

"Commander, can I see you for a second?"

C48 turned to see Skywalker standing in the entryway of the bridge. "Of course, sir," he replied, obediently turning and exiting the bridge. He and Skywalker moved out into the hall.

"Commander, I need to know what you think about this mission," Skywalker stated. "Do you think the men are ready? I've heard they've been training hard, but I want to know exactly what we're running into."

C48 stared uneasily at his general. "Sir, I don't really know. We're running in blind. The men are just rookies. They're weren't prepared for this battle. They weren't prepared for ANY battle…sir, I just don't know."

Skywalker sighed. "I wish I could've given them some time to get ready or prepare. But the Council decided if we were going to act, we had to act now. I just hope I'm not going to fail them."

He didn't know how to answer that, so he remained quiet. The rest of the trip was spent with a tension in the air, an unpleasant anxiety that spread to every man aboard the ship. The only person that looked the least bit confident was Yularen, and even he seemed doubtful when the Resolute finally entered the Kiros system...

…which was being blockaded by six massive, enemy warships.

C48 and General Skywalker stood on the bridge, staring wide eyed at the blockade.

'Here were are,' C48 thought grimly. 'A bunch of rookies, with no experience except for me and one admiral. We're supposed to bring down an entire Separatist blockade, and rescue a team that's already failed the mission before. The odds are against us…in fact, everything and everyone is against us…'

'…we're dead men.'


End file.
